Hurtful words
by Lil em 04
Summary: When Adrien hears his classmates trash talking Cat Noir, he struggles to keep himself together. Will he keep a hold of his emotions, or will he fall into the clutches of one of Hawkmoths Akumas?
1. Chapter 1

**Hi lovely readers, thank you so much for reading this! It would make my day if you could leave a small comment of encouragement or constructive criticism below. But seriously you guys reading this has already made my day :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Miraculous Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir, I'm just a big fan with a huge passion for writing!**

"She was amazing! Did you see the way she managed to use fish food to defeat the Akuma? So cool!" Exclaimed Alya. Chloe flicked her hair.

"I mean yeah she was good, but she was let down by her lousy partner! She should replace him with Queen Bee instead!" Adrien felt his cheeks turn red and he hurriedly put his head down, staring at the table.

"I wouldn't go that far," began Alya. "But Cat Noir has got hit a lot in the last few battles. Its because he's too busy flirting with Ladybug." Nino scoffed.

"Honestly, she just needs to say no. I don't know how she takes all his flirting and goofing around, he's so full of himself!" Adrien's cheeks were getting hotter and hotter as he pushed his face closer towards the desk.

"It feels like Ladybug would be better off without him." The blogger commented. "He just slows her down. When the day comes to take down Hawkmoth, I don't think he'll be focused enough to get the job done. I don't trust him with such responsibility anymore." She concluded. Adrien's heart sunk. His eyes pricked with tears. He bit his lip hard to hold in the emotion. Picking up his bag, he silently left the classroom, no one noticing. They were all too busy finding different things wrong with Cat Noir. He trudged down to the bottom of the staircase, where he sat down on the final step. He pushed his face into his hands, his palms becoming wet with the cascade of tears that were flowing uncontrollably. Why did he have to be so useless? The one thing he thought he got right, the one place where he felt happy, it was all a lie. He was just a nuisance to Ladybug. Adrien shook his head. Next Akuma attack, he wasn't showing up. He would stay at home, or at school, just away from the trouble. It would mean he wouldn't get in the way, and Ladybug could do her job without having to worry about him. It would be for the best. What they were saying was true.

A yell, followed by a small thump snapped him out of his thoughts. He turned around and saw Marinette on the ground, hurriedly retrieving her spilt belongings. Adrien instantly made his way over to help.

Her eyes met his and she jumped, her backpack spilling once again. Adrien let out a small laugh as he picked up a sketchbook and slotted it back in its home. When the final pencil was off the ground, the two stood up.

"Th-thanks Adrien." She stammered. Adrien gave her a small smile, hoping she hadn't noticed his tears, when over her shoulder he saw Alya and Nino.

"Got to go, see you later Marinette!" He said, as he made his way towards the out of the school. He didn't turn back.

Instead he ran to him house, the mansion it was. After breezing through numerous security checks, Adrien pushed open the grand doors, and was confronted by the stern face of Nathalie Sancour. Her eyebrows were knitted tightly together, her arms crossed and her expression fierce.

"You were supposed to ring us to come pick you up, not walk home by yourself." She said seriously.

"Sorry, I forgot." He replied. Nathalie barley glanced at him.

"Go into your room and study for your upcoming trigonometry exam." She ordered. Adrien obeyed, his feet silently trudging towards his oversized room. He knew all to well that there was no point protesting.

Minutes turned into hours, hours of tireless reading of sin, cos, tan and everything else the topic held. As his eyes began to drift shut, a loud vibrating sound shook him out of his daze. His eyes fell on the lit up phone, a notification having just come through. It was a news alert. An Akuma attack.

Adrien sat up straight, on high alert. He clicked the notification and a news report began to play.

Nadjia Chamock's face lit up the screen, as she crouched behind a news van, microphone grasped firmly in her hand.

"I'm here, live in front of the Eiffel tower, where the new supervillain is destroying all the nature! Will Ladybug and Cat Noir be able to stop her in time, or will Paris become a barren desert forever?" A large thump sounded as the news van behind Nadjia was thrown backwards. A girl with dead leaves for hair, and a short brown dress pointed her trident at the news reporters threateningly. In just seconds the screen went black.

Adrien's eyes fell on his ring. Plagg hovered in the air ready to transform. "Claws," He began, when something made him stop.

"Ladybug would be better off without him." "He just slows her down." "Lousy partner." The words flooded his brain.

"No." Adrien mumbled, then without a second thought, slid the ring off his finger. Plagg vanished. He put the jewelry on the desk. This would be it. Today, he would know if he truly was a nuisance to Ladybug. Today, he would be watching from the sidelines.

He hurriedly opened his computer, finding the Ladyblog website, and sure enough, saw Alya's live stream.

"So basically guys, the villains trident can make things disintegrate, including people. And all the disintegrated stuff, she can use as a weapon and throw out of her trident. She can shoot trees, its so cool. And she uses vines as rope things, Ladybug has to be super careful to make sure she doesn't get hit." Came Alya's excited voice. She filmed Ladybug flying through the air, expertly dodging and attacking the villain. It was mesmerizing for a while, but soon became a fixed stalemate. Adrien was betraying every instinct in his body, all of them were telling him to get out there and fight. But he resisted the temptation, and stayed firmly planted in his seat.

Ladybug called on her lucky charm. "Wow, a floral T-shirt? What's she gonna do with that?" Alya inquired. "What's this, she's, she's retreating, folks Ladybug has just disappeared over the rooftops of Paris. This can only mean one thing!" She let out an excited squeal. "Another miraculous! I mean that would make sense because Cat Noir didn't show up, but who will it be? Rena rouge, Carapace or Queen Bee? Speaking of which, make sure to check put the poll I created to show which superhero you like best. Personally, I think Rena Rouge has the moves, but -" Adrien zoned out and into a bubble of thought. He had always been upset that Ladybug didn't trust him enough to give him their identities. The only one he knew was Chloe, and that was only because she revealed it herself. Ladybug didn't trust him with anything. No one did.

"She's back!" Alya exclaimed loudly. "And look who it is! Carapace is with her too!" Adrien gulped, mentally ticking off the "replaceable" box in his head. He watched in shock as Ladybug and Carapace easily took out the Akuma, Alya's commentary barley registering in his mind. In just a few minutes, ladybug had snapped the trident in half, a dark butterfly emerging. A few more seconds, and the trident was back to a garden fork, the girl de-evilised and confused. Ladybug smiled at Carapace.

"Pound it?" She asked. Adrien felt like his stomach had been ripped out as Carapace accepted the fist pump. "Let's get out of here." She said, and the two disappeared.

"That's all for today fans, but don't forget to read the post Akuma analysis, that should be out in an hour, and if you haven't already subscribed -" the talking silenced as Adrien closed the tab. He let his head fall into his palms, sadness overwhelming him. He was such a useless human being. Nothing he did was right.

"Adrien!" Came a yell. Startled he turned around, and saw Ladybug perched on the open window. How on earth had she got there that fast. It had only been, what, five minutes? If that. She must have been in a rush. He looked to where her eyes were focused, and panicked. It was a large black and purple butterfly. An Akuma. It was coming right at him.


	2. Chapter 2

Adrien yelped and fell backwards, as Ladybug entered the room.

"Positive thoughts, think of a happy memory!" She urged rather forcedly. Adrien watched in horror as it continued coming towards him. A million thoughts rushed through his head, Ladybug, Hawkmoth, Plagg, when finally reality hit. His eyes fell on the desktop background of his computer, the jade eyes of his mother staring caringly at him. He took a deep breath, as he remembered all the time spent with her. Running in the park, baking, painting and her warm hugs. He closed his eyes, letting himself drift away. He felt the warmth of her smooth hands, her beating heart as it pressed towards him in a hug. Her almost melodic voice calling to him, her sweet laugh, and on top of it all her gentle kindness. Breathing slowly, he opened his eyes, and saw Ladybug cleansing the Akuma. She let go the blue butterfly, which flew out the window. Then she eyed him.

"That was a very close call." She said. Adrien nodded, still traumatized from the recent events.

"What were you doing on my window?" He asked shakily. Her whole face went red.

"Oh, um, I wasn't spying on you or reading your schedule I was um, I like to check up on the civilians sometimes and yeah..." She trailed off. Adrien felt his heart sink a little. She had never told him - as Cat Noir - about that. Just another thing he wasn't trusted with.

"Right." He said distractedly. He looked up and saw her walking around his room, as if taking in every single detail. She stopped in front of his photo collage and grinned.

"Are these your friends?" She asked.

"Uh, yeah I guess." Mumbled Adrien. Of course that just made him remember what they had said that morning, and the black cloud was over him once again. He rested his head on the desk, turning away from Ladybug so she didn't see his trembling lips.

"What's this?" She asked. "I feel like I've seen it before." Adrien turned and jumped as he saw her reaching for his miraculous. Without even thinking, he lunged for the ring and slid it inside his pocket.

"That," he began, panting. "Is a, uh, very expensive ring." Ladybug gasped.

"Oh sorry, I didn't realize." She apologized. Her eyes narrowed. "Are those tears?" Adrien turned his head away, hurriedly wiping his eyes.

"No." He said quietly. Ladybug was upon him immediately.

"Looks like my distracting didn't work." She said bashfully. "So, what got you so worked up that an Akuma came after you?" Her bluebell eyes mesmerized him, and they were filled with care. He felt his protective shield crumble away, and he unwillingly let loose waterfalls of emotion. His cheeks flushed crimson with embarrassment, but Ladybug didn't seem to mind.

"Nothing." Adrien mumbled. Ladybugs smile changed into a small pout.

"Really? I mean." She stuttered. "If you don't want to tell me that's fine but, you know..." She looked into his eyes and Adrien noticed a small tinge of pink upon her cheeks. "I'm always here if you need." Adrien suddenly got a warm fuzzy feeling.

"Thank you M'l-" he caught himself quickly. "Ladybug." In a split second her arms were around him. He hesitated at first, but then gladly accepted the hug, resting his chin on her shoulder.

"Feel better?" She asked.

"I always do around you." He said without thinking. Suddenly he pulled away. "Which is not often of course!" He said hurriedly, internally punching himself. A beep filled the room, and Ladybugs hand flew to her earrings.

"I have to go now." She said sadly, flinging her yoyo out the window. "Bug out!" She said with a wink. And then she was gone.

Adrien lay, arms spread out wide on his bed, a smile forming. She was so kind. He didn't deserve someone like her.

After a while, a loud voice sounded from downstairs.

"Adrien, hurry up, you have a photoshoot in five minutes!"

~ Three hours later ~

Adrien hated going to bed. It took his so long to get to sleep, so he became burdened by an inescapable tsunami of thoughts. Of course, tonights subject was the uselessness of Cat Noir. He let out a soft growl as he rolled out of bed, his eyes stinging, red, and puffy. He needed an escape, somewhere he could go to get away from everything, just for a little while. He thought back to the class discussion they had years ago, the one about how to calm down. Chloe had said a makeover. Nope. Marinette had said baking. Adrien looked at the clock and shook his head. Too late for that. Ladyblog, drawing, writing, music, all of them didn't sound right. But what was it that Alix said? She said that she climbed onto the roof of her house and took in the stars. Adrien cracked a small smile. That was it. But this house, no, not this house. Something bigger, taller, further away.

The Eiffel tower.

The idea excited him, so he pulled out his draw and grabbed the silver ring (he had changed it hiding spot slightly) and slid it onto his finger. Plagg had about a second to breath before Adrien whispered "claws out" and for the first time that day, he became Cat Noir.

Adrien felt a rush of adrenaline flood through him as he leaped out through the window, and out into the night. He bounded from rooftop to rooftop, launching himself high in the air. The wind whistled past him, weaving its way through his blonde locks. The energy gushed through his veins as he gained speed and distance. Until finally, he reached the colossal structure of the Eiffel tower.

He leaped onto it, and began crawling vertically up towards its top, his movement just like a cat. The wind stung his eyes, the cold metal making even his gloved hands shiver, but he kept going. Arms aching, legs throbbing, he pulled himself up and reached the top of the grand monument. He sat down on the ledge, breathing heavily, to tired to do anything else. He stared down at the seemingly endless drop below him, then fixed his gaze on the shining stars dotting the obsidian sky. Peaceful thought of astronomy took over his brain. He remembered sitting on the grass with his mum and a telescope. She would angle it, then let him look through it, pointing out stars and planets, naming each one perfectly. She would tell him old folktales and explain the stories behind the constellations. The memory brought a smile to his face. Every memory of her did that.

The city of Paris was partially illuminated by the streetlights, making it a picture perfect and relaxing place to rest his eyes on. It was too late for any hustle and bustle, the only thing moving was the streak of red flying through the air. The streak of red -

Cat Noir was immediately shocked out of his trance as the figure came closer and closer towards him. It landed on the tower just meters from him, and he realized with dread who it was. His superheroine partner, whom he let down on every occasion. Ladybug.


	3. Chapter 3

His hand slapped his forehead and slid down his face as her eyes narrowed.

"Cat Noir? What on earth are you doing here?" She asked, as if she was still taking in everything that was happening. Cat Noir grimaced, unable to find a suitable excuse for his actions.

"Going. I'm going. Now." He said, with limited confidence. He got up, but her stern angry glare made him stop in his tracks.

"Why are you here?" She asked, her usually calm tone now on the verge of mad.

"I-" Cat Noir began, but his mouth forgot how to move. It was like his throat stopped pushing air out, and he felt like he was holding his breath, unable to release. He coughed, and began breathing normally again. "I was just getting some," he paused, every word paining him. "Fresh air." He looked into her dazzling bluebell eyes, that were now looking at him with a strange mix of enmity, concern, and gentleness. The combination of emotions puzzled Cat Noir. "What about you?" He asked nervously.

"The patrol you obviously forgot about." She remarked. Cat Noir felt the small fragment of purpose he had just gained dissolve. Ladybug must have noticed it too. Before he even knew what was happening she was sitting down next to him, though slightly further away from the edge.

"What are you really doing here?" She questioned suspiciously. Cat Noir bit his lip. Ladybug was one of the people he trusted. He trusted her so much. But he wasn't quite ready to open up. Not just yet.

"Fresh air." He repeated. She raised her eyebrow at him and mouthed "ok".

"So where were you this afternoon?" She further interrogated. Cat Noir could detect the fury in her voice. She was going to be so mad if he told her the truth. But probably even more mad if he lied again. ' Here goes nothing ' he thought.

"I was actually just at home." He said softly. Ladybugs brows creased and her mouth opened in a gawk.

"What? You're joking!" He shook his head sadly.

"Sorry." He mumbled. She threw her hands up in frustration.

"Wow. Cat Noir do you even understand what it mean to be a superhero? We don't get days off. You must turn up no slacking off! I need you at every battle with me -"

"You don't need me." He whispered, so that it was barley even audible. Ladybug stopped talking and let out a sigh.

"Is there something your not telling me?" She said knowingly. Cat Noir didn't even have the will to shake his head and make up an excuse. He just sat there, and didn't say a word. "Well hey, I'm all ears. And I feel like I deserve to know after all that we've been through. I would certainly hope that you trust me. I mean I trust you a fair bit so-" She stopped as Cat Noir turned his head away. "What you don't believe me?" She put her hand on his shoulder and he turned back around. "Do you believe that I trust you?" She said patiently. Cat Noir's wince gave her the answer. "Why?"

"You won't tell me anything. Who is Rena. Who is Carapace? Where do you get the miraculous? Who that flipping boy you're in love with is." He took a breath, trying to tone his anger down before it got out of hand. "I just think that no matter how hard I try you will never rely on me. Its always the other way around." Silence filled the air around them, making Cat Noir second guess himself. "I'm sorry I shouldn't have said anything."

"No I'm glad you did!" Exclaimed Ladybug. "Really I am, and to be honest I know what you mean." She paused. "A little while ago, I saw something that that made me realize this but, I never got around to doing anything about it." She said regretfully.

"What did you see?" Cat Noir asked curiously. Ladybug smiled.

"This is gonna sound stupid. You know Adrien Agreste, that super famous model?" Cat Noir nearly fell of the Eiffel tower.

"Yes I know him, why, do you know him?" He said frantically.

"Of course I know him, everybody knows him. Anyway I was going past his house one day and I saw him in his big room. I decided to take a peep, and he was playing with" She lowered her voice. "Ladybug and Cat Noir action figures." She looked up at Cat Noir. "Are you alright? Your face is all red." Cat Noir nodded hastily.

"Yeah its just really hot in this suit." He panted. "Continue."

"Anyway. Adrien basically was creating a conversation between our action figures. And Cat Noir asked Ladybug if she trusted him, and Ladybugs said "No I will never trust you." That kinda made me realize that maybe I'm not showing you enough trust. I'm sorr-"

"Why were you at Adrien's house?" He asked. Her cheeks turned scarlet and he knew he had caught her off guard.

"Oh I, um, he's just a bit cute, not that that matters actually he's very cute. I'm rambling aren't I?" Cat Noir's eyes open as wide as saucers as everything clicked. His jaw fell like a rock in the sea and he stopped breathing for a solid ten seconds.

"Oh my gosh." He gasped. "Adrien's the boy you love." He felt the temperature raise by 20 degrees. She nodded.

"Yeah. See, I do trust you." She said, like it was an achievement.

"Adrien. Adrien Agreste?" He asked, his heart beating faster than it ever had before. She confirmed with a nod. Cat Noir couldn't think. Billions of thoughts were rushing through his head. His stomach felt like it was full of Akumas. His hands were shaking nervously.

"Cat Noir? Are you ok?" She asked, concerned.

"Yeah, yeah." He assured her. "I'm just, shocked. Very, very, very, very, very -"

"Ok I get it! You're surprised." She bit her lip. "Please don't get jealous." She said softly.

"Oh no I won't. What's there to be jealous of?" He said. As soon as the words came out of him mouth he realized his mistake.

"Don't say that, you know that he's practically the image of perfection! He's so handsome, and -" Cat Noir braced himself for the usual fan girl list: Blonde hair, green eyes and pale skin. But the one that Ladybug gave was different. "He's kind, caring, gentle but always honest." Her sigh gave an obvious ' in love ' vibe. "He makes me happy." She concluded, her eyes staring into the distance as if she was in a daze.

"What more could you want?" Said Cat Noir, still unable to handle what he had just heard. The two sat without a word for a minute. Then, Ladybug spoke up.

"That's my secret, now your turn. Why weren't you at the battle today?" She demanded. Cat Noir gulped.

"Oh, ah, yes, that's a good question." He stuttered awkwardly. Ladybugs stern glare was the only thing that made him continue. "Just, something happened earlier today."

"And what happened?" She asked, gently coaxing him on. He signed loudly.

"Basically, some of my classmates were saying some things earlier today. About me. As in the Cat Noir me." He rubbed his arm nervously. "You probably don't want to know what they said."

"No I do!" She said. ' Great ' thought Cat Noir.

"That I was a lousy partner. That I slow you down." His voice cracked with anxiety. "That you would be better off without me." He could almost feel his heart physically crumbling. "I was just trying to test their theories." He admitted. He felt a warm hand on his knee.

"Tell me who said that, and I'll beat them up." She said, Cat Noir taken away by how determined she sounded. "They're not bad people. I mean its not like they knew Cat Noir was sitting behind them." He spoke.

"Yeah. But they have their facts all messed up! Cat Noir you're the greatest partner I could have ever asked for. You are the most caring, and passionate and energetic person I know. I trust that you've always got my back in battles. I can't begin to count the times you took bullets for me. And no matter how hard the villain is, you never stop fighting. Please never doubt yourself again. You are the perfect-est partner ever!" She said loudly.

"You, you actually think that?" He asked timidly. He fell backwards as she launched herself at him for hug.

"I don't think so." She whispered. "I know so." Cat Noir felt so at home in her arms. He wrapped his around her.

"I love you M'lady." He said quietly. She laughed.

"You're never going to give up on me are you?" She said.

"Not until the day you realize that I'm the one you truly love." He replied.

"High hopes." She commented. "But let's stick with best friends for now." Cat Noir felt his heart buzz with excitement.

"That's a level higher than last time!" He pointed out. Ladybug nodded.

"Exactly."


	4. Chapter 4

The partners sat there for a while. They talked, as if they had been friends since birth. Cat Noir almost forgot she was crushing on him, until she brought it up.

"How at you so calm and collected around me?" She asked desperately. "Whenever I'm near Adrien I get so tongue tied and mess up everything. He probably thinks I'm such a loser!" The thought of confident Ladybug getting nervous around HIM almost made him laugh.

"Its easier for me because I feel so comfortable around you. You make me stop stuttering and getting tongue tied. But don't be so self conscious about it. The more you worry about it, the worse it will get. And no one could ever think that my beautiful bug was a loser!" He added.

' Better than screaming like all the fan girls ' he thought.

"Why are you so kind to me?" She suddenly blurted out.

"What?" Asked Cat Noir, unsure if he had heard her right.

"I've rejected you countless times, been harsh on you and even mean sometimes. But you just keep on loving me and going out of your way to be nice to me! I don't understand how you do it." She explained. He let himself smile a little.

"Love does funny things sometimes." Was all he said.

"I guess it does." She murmured. Her hand made its way to his. "I want you to go out with someone." She said. Cat Noir looked at her quizzically. What was she saying? "I feel like I'm holding you back. My guess is that there are millions of girls out there who would be jumping at the chance to go out with you. Don't let your feelings for me stop you." She waved her hands in the air. "Maybe one day if we defeat Hawkmoth and learn each others identities, we could see what happens, but until then," she nudged him gently in the ribs. "Live your life to the fullest." Cat noir couldn't believe his ears. He had never thought of going out with anyone but Ladybug. But maybe he did need some time away from her. There were others he had small feelings for after all.

"Maybe you're right." He said. "But when we defeat Hawkmoth, you're going on a date with me." He insisted. She laughed.

"We'll see about that. I -" She paused suddenly, her eyes bulging. "Oh no! My essay is due tomorrow!" She locked eyes with her partner and pouted. "I have to go." She said sadly. He flicked his hand.

"Don't worry, all good. Good luck on your essay!" He said. She winked at him and saluted playfully.

"Bug out!" She yelled, her yoyo already whizzing her over the Paris rooftops and out of sight.

"Can you even believe it! She likes me, Adrien me!" He explained to Plagg excitedly. The kwami crossed his arms.

"Oh, so now you're talking to me huh?" He squeaked. Adrien rubbed the back of his neck and lay his head on his pillow.

"I'm sorry Plagg. I shouldn't have let my negative emotions get hold of me." He apologized.

"Aw, thanks kid, but don't get too sappy. I'll forgive you, as long as you give me double the normal amount of cheese!" Exclaimed Plagg, before flying to his Camembert stash. Adrien rolled over.

He was so determined to defeat Hawkmoth now. Once they had, he would reveal his identity and she would fall in love with him, and they would get married and have kids and hamsters and -

His joyful thoughts somehow managed to lure him to sleep.

"ADRIEN! YOU ARE NEVER GOING TO GUESS WHAT JUST HAPPENED!" Came a scream as the boy walked into him classroom. In seconds Alya was practically on top of him. "My Ladyblog is breaking records. RECORDS!" Adrien raised his eyebrow.

"How so?" He asked curiously. He sat down in his seat, and Alya launched herself into Nino's currently unoccupied one.

"Ok, here's how it happened. Marinette rung me at 3am this morning and told me she had something to put on the Ladyblog. So, I decided to put my trust in her, and let her publish her thing. I went back to sleep, and woke up this morning to find more people than ever before viewing the Ladyblog, all of them on Marinette's article!" She raised her hands happily. "I am going to get that girl to write all of my articles from now on."

"Wow, good on her. What was the article on?" He questioned. Alya brought up her phone and handed it to him. It was a long, but the heading was what caught his attention.

"What you missed about Paris's best superhero - Cat Noir." He read aloud, his eyes popping out of his head. "She - she," he stuttered, but quickly regained his composure. "She wrote a whole article on Cat Noir?" Alya nodded.

"Damn right she did. Her message was so powerful, it changed my mind! MY mind! Who knew Cat Noir was so great?" Adrien's tried to hide his beam of pride.

"Yeah, I know right!" He said, still not believing this was happening. The door flung open again, and Marinette trudged in, yawning loudly. Alya was instantly on her feet.

"Marinette you are never going to guess what happened!" She began, and proceeded to telling her story.

Adrien took a deep breath. The two printed strips of paper in his pocket felt weirdly heavy all of a sudden. He looked at the two girls, and slowly made his was towards them.

"Hey Marinette!" He greeted. The girl almost did a back flip, before waving at him nervously. He watched Alya nudge her towards him. His hand began to shake, but he forced it to stop. "I was just wondering if you were free tonight." He said, his voice trembling as he pulled out the two tickets. "I thought maybe we could, you know, go to the Jagged Stone concert tonight. Together?" He tried to steady his breathing. "Just us?" She looked like she was about to pass out and Adrien began second guessing everything. Her mouth hung open. Alya closed it for her.

"Jagged Stone concert. You. Me. I." She babbled, before clenching her fist and looking up determinedly, with an expression that reminded him of Ladybug.

"Yes." She said.

**The end! Thanks again for reading, I hope you liked it, please let me know if I should change something or anything else in the comments! :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey y'all!**

**So, this story was meant to be done, but I got a bunch of comments with people wanting me to continue it, so here you go, the start of hurtful words part 2! Here's a sneak peak at what you can expect from these next few chapters:**

**\- A reveal (but whose?)**

**\- Some tears**

**\- A whole lot of angst**

**I really hope you guys like it!**

He couldn't help but smile at the girl sitting peacefully by his side. Their first date was more than he ever could have imagined. A night out at a concert followed by a movie at Marinette's house - he wouldn't trade it for the world. As Marinette's bluebell eyes fixated on the TV screen, Adrien's felt his eyes drifting around the room. Even though he was seeing it for the millionth time that night, the stunning dress hanging on the mannequin made him gape. The sewing projects scattered around the room were a perfect reflection of the girl. He pursed his lips together as he noted the Ladybug and Cat Noir dolls sitting to the side of the desk. The small fragment of doubt that arose when he first asked Marinette out was back. Sure he liked her. She was the nicest girl in the class, obviously in love with him, and he got butterflies when she smiled. But she wasn't Ladybug. He let his eyes fall on her. When they defeated Hawkmoth, their identities would be revealed, and he was sure Ladybug would fall head over heals for him. But what would happen then between him and Marinette. Was this really such a good idea? Her words echoed in his head. To be fair, she had been the one to suggest that he go on a date. Maybe she had things under control, after all, when had his Lady ever been wrong?

"Adrien?" Marinette's voice was so pure, almost angelic. "What time is it?" Adrien pulled his hand out, eyes focused on the watch. He grinned slightly.

"One am. Just past it." He answered. Marinette couldn't hold in her yawn.

"Time to catch so sleep?" She asked, nodding to the airbed housing Adrien's sleeping bag. He tucked her hair behind her ear.

"Sounds like a plan." He hesitated before gently kissing the top of her head. Her silky smooth hair was cold on his lips. The two drowsily made their way into bed, and mere minutes after the lights were out, Adrien detected quiet snoring coming from the sleeping girl. He - on the other hand, was lost in a wonderland of thoughts. Hopes, dreams, fears, and everything in between. It took a while for them to finally lure him to sleep.

The pair walked into school together hand in hand. Adrien loved the feel of her fingers laced in his. As they turned the corner, Adrien was confronted of the face of a cold blooded liar. Marinette's scowl said everything he was thinking.

"What do you want?" Marinette asked frustratedly. Lila Rossi flicked her hair.

"I thought it was best to let you know what's happening in there before you walk in." She began, gesturing to the classroom. Her fake innocence made Adrien cringe. She leaned towards him and lowered her voice to a whisper. "The class is taking bets on how long you'll last. You know what I think?" She smirked. "One day. There's no way you'll be able to last longer than that with Miss Clumsy over here." She turned around, her hair narrowly missing Marinette's face as it flung around, and sashayed into the classroom. Adrien glanced at Marinette. She was wearing a smile, but it was evident that Lila's lies had rattled her.

"Hey," Adrien said, her eyes locking with his. "Don't listen to her, she's just jealous." Out of the corner of his eye Adrien spotted Lila, face pressed against the classroom window. She was watching for a reaction.

"She does have a point though," Mumbled Marinette. "I can barley walk into class without tripping over my own feet." Adrien smiled.

"True. But who said it was a bad thing?" Her eyes gazed at him questioningly. "I think its awesome. You wouldn't be Marinette if you weren't clumsy. Plus, more times for me to catch you. Because the Marinette that falls over every few seconds," he squeezed her hand comfortingly. "That's the girl I want." She grinned widely and grabbed his collar, pulling him in for a kiss.

Neither of them noticed the glare of pure hatred from the window. Nor the dark butterfly that flew into the classroom. They only broke apart when they heard the screams that followed.

The door burst open, causing Marinette and Adrien to jerk apart. Alya ran through and nearly knocked the pair over. "Lila's been akumatized!" She panted urgently. "Again." She added, with a touch of frustration. As if on cue the rest of the class flooded out, yells and cries for help filling their lungs. Adrien froze. How was he going to get out of this one?

"I'll hide in the girls bathrooms, you hide in the boys!" Marinette yelled urgently. Adrien tried to disguise the sigh of relief. He nodded.

"Stay safe!" He said, but she was already running off. Thank goodness for Marinette he thought. She really was perfect for him.

But not as perfect as Ladybug said a small voice from the back of his head. He pushed back the thoughts, he would further ponder them later. But now, he had a job to do. He sprinted to the nearby janitors closet, closing the door behind his, being swallowed by the darkness.

"You there Plagg?" He whispered. The Kwami sighed lazily.

"It would appear so." He complained. Adrien's lip twitched into a smile.

"Claws out!" Instantly green lights enveloped him, and when they faded, the janitors closet was a lot less dark. Night vision had to be one of his favorite Cat Noir traits. He kicked open the door, and ran towards the classroom, the ground bouncing below his padded feet. He loved the feeling of the wind weaving between his blonde locks, making his ears tingle and tail fly behind him. He leaped through the open classroom door and couldn't help but smile. Taunting this Akumatized version of Lila stood Ladybug. His Ladybug. His Lady. He couldn't hold in his lovestruck sigh. She turned to face him, her blue eyes staring at him, as if they were searching into his soul.

"Cat Noir, Akuma is in the necklace, her powers come from her bow and arrow, which she shoots at you. I think that once you get hit you get almost paralyzed so be careful." He was snapped out of his daze as she started barking orders at him.

"Well that won't be a problem, you've already frozen my heart." He spoke cheekily. Ladybug just rolled her eyes.

"Save it for after the battle please. We've got an Akuma to catch." And with that the battle had started.

Lila looked extremely different with her new makeover. Her hair was the usual style, but was a mixture of violet, pink, and aqua. She wore rose lipstick, and of course her signature 'volpina' necklace, which hung loosely from her neck. She wore a metallic silver sleeveless dress, which cut off at the knees, and had an indigo bag strapped around her. Her bow and arrow looked liked it had been taken straight out of the hunger games, but the tips of the arrows were coated in sky blue.

Ladybug dove straight at Lila, but was forced to dodge backwards to avoid a fired arrow. Cat Noir came in from the side, but had the same hurdle fired at him. It flew straight over his ears, making them shiver. Ladybug bounced off a desk, and leaped over the villain, grabbing the bow and arrow as she did so. She landed triumphantly, throwing the weapon out the smashed window. But Lila was smirking. She reached into the bag, and pulled out yet another weapon - this time, a yoyo.

"Looks like we have a copycat." Cat Noir cooed. Ladybug frowned.

"This will be harder than I first thought. Focus Cat Noir." She instructed sternly. She hurled her own yoyo at Lila, but the villain held up hers and spun it in a defensive ring, causing Ladybugs to rebound.

"You can't beat me!" Lila yelled. "I am Controller, the one and only. You have no power here Ladybug!" She taunted. With a flick of her wrist, she had flung her yoyo at Ladybug, missing her by the slightest of measurements. Ladybug spun away, tripping over a desk and falling onto the ground. Controller seized the opportunity while it lasted, her yoyo shooting towards the superheroine. Cat Noir saw it all in slow motion.

Every time something like this happened, he had no explanation. It was just instinct, a gut reaction, that didn't come from his Cat Noir powers. And he never regretted it. He launched himself across the room. As gently as possible he pushed Ladybug aside, and out of harms way. He felt the string constricting around him, pinning his arms to his side. He heard Ladybugs ringing scream. Then nothing.

Bright lights shone in his face, he had to blink a few times so it wouldn't sting his eyes. They quickly came into focus, and he was able to register his surroundings. Ladybug, ladybugs, Lila, he was overcome with dizziness and stumbled backward a little, falling onto a desk. Had they won, had Ladybug defeated the Akuma? Soft hands laced around his. He looked up and locked eyes with his partner. He heaved a sigh of relief, her smile said it all. She had done it, all by herself. He felt his face fall a little. Without him. Again. A look of concern filled Ladybugs face. "What is it?" She questioned. Cat Noir opened his mouth slightly, then closed it again before speaking.

"You did this alone." He gestured to where Lila was crouched on the floor. "I got hit in the first few minutes. Its like - it feels like - I guess -" he exhaled frustratedly, unable to find the right words. He was still dazed from whatever spell Controller had put him under.

"You're beating yourself up again aren't you." Came her soothing words. Her eyes flickered to Lila. "Let me deal with her, then I'll talk with you." She said with a comforting in grin. Her fingers slipped out of his as she walked to the crouching girl. Cat Noir sat patiently, watching his Lady talk so caringly to a girl who didn't deserve her niceness. 'I don't either' he thought. Ladybug walked Lila out the door, closing it with a wave. She turned her attention back to him.

"Where were we?" She said, propping herself on the table next to Cat Noir. "Oh right, you're telling me that I didn't need your help because I won the battle on my own." She laughed softly. "After you basically took a bullet for me! Let me tell you this. I -" a soft high pitched beep filled the room. Her hands flew to earrings, her face saddening.

"Its fine, go detransform." Urged Cat Noir, resisting every urge in his body, telling him to grab her hand and never let go.

"Oh I wish I didn't have to go Cat Noir, we'll finish this at patrol tonight!" She promised, as she ran toward the open window. "Bug out!" She said with a wink. Cat Noir saluted, but she had already flown out the window. He frowned. Usually they had more time than that after a battle. How long had he been out for? 'Too long'. He thought as he walked into the class storeroom. He closed the door behind him, uttering "Claws out" and releasing his transformation. Plagg spun out of his ring, automatically begging for cheese.

"Getting hit always makes me hungry!" The Kwami whined. Adrien rolled his eyes.

"Sure it does. Just like everything else that ever happens." He fished into his pocket and pulled out a slice of cheese. The stench made him want to puke, so he was grateful when Plagg swallowed it whole . Adrien let out a long shaky breath. He was still rattled from the battle, his sense of time was out of whack, just like every other battle where he got hit. He wished he could have done more, helped Ladybug out, proven that he wasn't a nuisance. 'You can't pretend to be something you aren't'. He thought. He bit the edge of his bottom lip. If only.

He trudged out of the store room just as the others swarmed in. Marinette's eyes met him, and her hand flew to her chest as she broke into a smile. She ran up to him.

"I told you to hide in the bathrooms!" She panted. "And then I went to find you and you were gone, and I thought -"

"Shhh." Adrien insisted gently. He tucked her hair behind her ear, then cradled her head in his arms. "Its ok, I'm here. I just couldn't stand the smell, it was too much to bear. I hid in the classroom next door, and I am completely unharmed." He held out his arms for proof. "Ok?" He whispered. She gave a small nod. "Sorry for worrying you." He felt her beating heart begin to slow.

"Just promise me you won't do anything like that again!" She demanded. Adrien grasped her pinky in his.

"Pinky promise." He said, squeezing tightly.

"Ow." She complained, but a smile had found its way back to her rosy cheeks. Her bluebell eyes sparkled cheekily. She pulled him towards her, gave him a quick peck on the lips, then raced to her seat next to Alya. Adrien smirked, shuffling neck to Nino. The DJ let out a long whistle, before being elbowed in the ribs.

"Shut up you." Adrien murmured,as Nino held up his hands innocently. A frazzled Miss Bustier somehow managed to continue the lesson, and before Adrien knew it, school was over for the day.

Later that night, the vibrating alarm of his phone startled Adrien. He sung his legs out of his bed, excitement flowing through him until he remembered the earlier events. This was going to be one awkward patrol.

He quickly transformed, clambering out the open window, and jumping onto a neighboring rooftop. He shivered, even the suit didn't keep out the cold bite of the frosty night time gales. He started running, jumping from one house to the next, the full moon illuminating the streets. The breeze rippled through his blonde locks, and made him squint as it hit his green eyes. He caught a glimpse of Ladybug before she saw him. She was sitting peacefully on a rooftop, early as usual, gazing off into the sky. Cat Noir leaped behind her with a thud.

"Evening M'lady." He greeted. She didn't stand. Twisting so her eyes met his, she gestured for him to take a seat next to her. Hesitantly, Cat Noir bent down, and fell into a cross legged position. "Everything ok?" He asked curiously. She grimaced.

"We'll get to that soon. I've already done patrol." She explained. Cat Noir tilted his head to the side. That was odd. "I have a few things to talk to you about." She began. Her hands fumbled over each other. "Lets start with earlier today, with the whole Controller situation." Cat Noir stayed silent. He didn't want to talk about it, but he knew there was no changing Ladybugs mind. "I know that you're beating yourself up over getting hit, but let's look at the facts. I was going to get hit, and you jumped in front of me! If you hadn't been so selfless, we would have never been able to fix the damage, or purify the Akuma." She gazed into his eyes. "You won us the battle." Cat Noir frowned. He had never thought of it like that. Every time he had taken a hit for Ladybug, he told himself he was unfocused, and a hindrance. But knowing that he actually may have helped Ladybug - it was a good feeling. His lips tugged at a hardly visible smile. Ladybug's matched it. But then as soon as it came, it faded. "Cat Noir I was at Master Fu's earlier this evening." She said, her voice shaky and quiet. "We have news." Cat Noir couldn't contain himself. What was the news? Ladybug took a deep breath. "We know who Hawkmoth is." She whispered.

Cat Noir froze. His breathing ceased. His heartbeat stopped. His brain slowed down. His stomach felt suddenly empty, his throat tight, his eyes heavy.

"Hawkmoth." He repeated. "Hawkmoth?" A sudden anger surged though him. This was the man who had put every Parisian in danger, who used peoples sadness as fuel for his selfish desires, the embodiment of evil. Finally, they were going to take him down, rip him to shreds. Hawkmoth had thrown him off a building, akumatized his friends, and worst of all - threatened his Ladybug. He was going down. Finally, he would get the punishment he deserved.

"Are you ready to know?" Said Ladybug, almost sadly. "Master Fu said that it might upset you a bit." Cat Noir nodded determinedly. Years of fighting, this was finally it. "You'll never be able to un-hear this." She gave one final warning. Cat Noir sucked in a large breath of air. Closing his eyes, he muttered "Tell me."

"Gabriel Agreste. Fashion designer. Father of Adrien Agreste."


	6. Chapter 6

Cat Noir's eyes opened, and he was blinded by the white glow of the moon, shining straight into his eyes. He felt the roof tiles under his back, and realized he was lying down. Bluebell eyes and dark pigtails entered his vision. He blinked rapidly, the moon still stinging his eyes, his brain not processing what was happening. He glanced at Ladybug anxiously, his eyes as wide as saucers. He tried to form a sentence, but couldn't piece words together. Then everything came flooding back, like a tsunami surging towards him. Dad.

"Cat Noir? Can you hear me?" Came her gentle, almost melodic voice. His father. His father was Hawkmoth. "Cat Noir?" Hawkmoth, the evil supervillain, was his father. "Kitty?" His father threw him off a rooftop. On purpose. The memories flashed vividly through his mind. He remembered the feeling, falling hard and fast with no control. He remembered the shear terror as he braced for impact. He remembered fearing his life, for in those few seconds, for the first time in his life he had truly thought he was going to die. "Cat Noir? Hello? Kitty can you hear me?" He remembered the nightmares he had for weeks after that incident. The self loathing he poured onto himself, for being the reason Ladybug didn't have the peacock miraculous. "CAT NOIR!" Her yell made him snap out of his thoughts.

"Ladybug?" He said hazily. She put her hands under his back, brining him back to a sitting position.

"My poor Kitty, you passed out." She said, soothingly rubbing his back. "Master Fu told me you wouldn't take it well but -" she let out a sigh. "You were even worse than me." She shook her head in disbelief. "Want to talk about it?" Cat Noir tried to muster some confidence.

"I -" his voice cracked with anxiety as he spoke, and before he knew it tears were spewing from his eyes, his body shaking, sobs hindering his breathing, the effort to try and hold them in constricted his windpipe. His loud cries were messy and ugly, but Ladybug still wrapped both her arms around him in a tight hug. She held him for a seeming eternity, as he struggled to handle his emotions. He was too weak to hold anything back. To weak to do anything at all. To weak to even notice that his father, his very own father was -

"Shhh." Breathed Ladybug softly. She began humming a tune that Adrien didn't recognize. His head burned with a headache, his stomach was twisted in a knot, his eyes wouldn't stop forming tears. He buried himself in Ladybug's arms, grabbing her and holding her tight. For a while they sat without the word, Cat Noir's crying gradually lessoning.

"Its all going to be ok." She urged kindly.

"No its not." Cat Noir hiccupped, letting go of Ladybug. He sat up straight. The sobbing had stopped, but tears were still sliding down his cheeks. "You know maybe we don't have to defeat him. I mean things are fine now -"

"Cat Noir you can't be serious." She said. "I know you're upset, but this is a man who has been putting civilians in danger every time he releases one of his butterflies." She sighed. "I can see that this is hard for you, but don't let whatever relationship you have with Gabriel cloud your judgment."

"I didn't say I had any relationship with -"

"Your reaction did." She cut him off. Her face fell into her outstretched hands. "And Adrien's is going to be even worse." She let out a long groan. "How am I going to tell Adrien this? I mean look at how you took the news, he is going to be a thousand times worse!" Cat Noir shifted uncomfortably. He didn't want to think about that. Not yet. Ladybug stood up abruptly. "I need a break, to think about all of this." She stared at him wistfully. "Are you ok if I go home?" Cat Noir's brain screamed no, but he nodded.

"Bye Ladybug." He croaked. She gave a small wave, before flinging here yoyo and flying after it. And then she was gone.

Cat Noir gazed into the moonlight, alone on the rooftop. The stars glittered around him. One shone particularly brightly, and it made him think of his mother. She had always lit up the room when she entered. But more than that, she had always been the small glimmer of light in the darkness. When he was rejected from modeling roles, she would cheer him up. When he was upset that his father couldn't attend dinner, she would hug him tight. But now, in the most darkness he had ever felt, when he needed her the most - she was gone. More tears escaped, but hollowness overwhelmed him. Emptiness was all he could feel. He half expected an Akuma to come shooting towards him, and he knew that he wouldn't be able to resist it if it did. Would his dad really akumatize him? His chest heaved in realization. His father had tried to akumatize him. The thought made him sick. How was he ever meant to go home again? Was he ever meant to go home again? He gulped. He and Ladybug were going to have to bring his father down, how was he going to do it? There was no way he could fight him, he wasn't an evil person. He just had an empty hole in his heart that needed filling.

He lay back down on the roof, gazing at the stars. The shimmering Paris night sky eventually lulled him to sleep.

Light blared through his eyelids, as he rubbed his eyes sleepily. He pushed himself up, shock coursing through him when he felt hard metal instead of a soft mattress. His eyes ripped open as everything was remembered. He was on a roof. Because his Dad was Hawkmoth. He glanced around at his surroundings, taking in the unusual quietness of Paris early in the morning. The sun was just starting to peek through, and the sky was a sheet of amber. He was still transformed, which was probably why the morning chill wasn't bothering him. What now?

Now he had to get to his house, pack a suitcase and get the hell out of there. He began climbing from one rooftop to the next, picking up speed until he was sprinting. It didn't take long for him to be one house away from his mansion. Red and blue lights illuminated the front of the house, surrounded by white cars. Dozens of figures dressed in navy were piling in, erupting from the cars like water gushing through a pipe. What was going on? He leaped through the open window of his bedroom, landing with a soft thud. "Claws in." He whispered. Plagg snaked from his ring, floating dizzily.

"Kid -" The kwami began, but Adrien hushed him.

"Cheese first." He insisted, opening a draw of his desk, becoming instantly overwhelmed with the foul stench. He held up the slice of cheese, which Plagg devoured gratefully.

"Do you have any questions you want to ask?" Asked the kwami hesitantly, mouth full of Camembert. Adrien just shook his head, already walking out the bedroom door.

"No, but I need to know what's going on out there." He weaved through the grand mansion, nearly falling down the stairs. He reached the entry, only to find the double doors wide open.

They were never open.

He sprinted through and was overwhelmed by what he saw. Police officers and cars, too many for him to count. They were all talking amongst themselves, not even seeing Adrien appear. Then one car caught his attention. A handcuffed man was being forced into it. Not just any man.

"Father." He whispered. "Father!" His voice broke into a yell as he sprinted to the car. He slipped past numerous officers, and ignored their demands for him to stop. "Father!" The man finally heard him this time, and twisted around to try and spot his son. Adrien kept running until he was just a few meters away. Then firm arms wrapped around him. An officer - Sabrina's Dad had grasped him by the waist.

"Easy does it kid." He said, not letting go.

"Father!" Adrien screamed. Gabriel's eyes were swollen red, a look of sorrow filling his face as his eyes locked with his son. "Fath-" he couldn't make out the whole word when his throat seemed to collapse on itself. He started coughing vigorously, the Police officer still retraining him tightly. "Father, father, FATHER!" He howled, his lungs paining, his throat burning. But it was no use. His father entered the car, and had the door shut behind him. "No. No. No, STOP!" He ordered the officer, who finally released his grip. Adrien ran to the car, but it was already driving away. He tried to catch up but it was no use. He tripped on the pavement and fell roughly, panting, crying, wanting to scream - but nothing came out. He curled his body into a ball. Trembling, he rammed his hand into the pavement in anger. Pain flared through his arm, but he did it again, and again, and again. The ground was cold on the bare skin of his cheeks and arms, and his fist throbbed from the pain of the impact. But he didn't get up, he lay there, gasping for air, helplessly trying to make his voice work, as his father was driven away. He clawed his hands through his hair as Plagg emerged cautiously.

"Adrien, Adrien stop!" The kwami yelped, but Adrien ignored him, ramming his fist into the concrete once again. "ADRIEN!" He shouted, moving himself under the boys hand. "Stop it you'll hurt yourself!" He ordered sternly. Adrien burst into an even heavier wave of sobs, his chest heaving under him.

"I don't care!" He spluttered. "I don't give a single damn!" He evaded Plagg and struck the ground.

"Adrien please -" the boy felt something thin wrapping around him. Suddenly he was being launched backwards, pulled up into the air.

"Plagg!" Adrien cried in fear, but the kwami quickly flew into his shirt pocket.

"Maybe she'll be able to calm you down." Plagg murmured softly. Adrien felt himself falling downwards now, and his eyes clamped shut. His body made contact with strong arms. Instantly he recognized the smell - baked goods mixed with the Adrien fragrance perfume. That could only belong to one person.

"Ladybug?" He whimpered, opening his eyes. Sure enough, those mesmerizing blue eyes stared back at him, the red and black mask enveloping them.

"I'm here Adrien." She whispered. "I'm here and you're going to be ok." Adrien snapped out of his momentary trance and pushed the girl away.

"No!" He yelled, stumbling back. "No I won't! I never will!" His voice grew louder and louder. "I never ever, ever, ever EVER, EVER, EVER -"

"ADRIEN!" Ladybugs voice was raised even louder than his. He realized he had backed into the corner of the room. He slid down the wall until he was crouching, cradling his knees, pulling them towards his chest. He glared daggers at her, for reasons he couldn't even explain. Yet her eyes shone back at him, kindness and care filling her face. They began brimming with tears.

"Adrien please!" She begged quietly. "Please just let me help you." She inched closer to him, small, tiny steps at a time. "I can't imagine how hard this is going to be for you." She spoke, tears flowing down her face as she spoke. "But I'm here for you. And I want to help." Her last words were barely audible. She sunk down until she was crouching right next to him. She tilted her head up, as if trying to make the tears return to behind her eyes.

"Adrien your Dad is Hawkmoth." She said, biting her lip hard. It was the second time Adrien had heard the news. Yet it did almost nothing to soften the blow.

"Of course he is. Of course he it." Adrien brought his head down, slamming it into his knees, trying to hold back his tears. "I start relying on a person, I lose them." He sniffed. "Is it too much to ask for two parents? Ones that aren't dead, or, or a supervillain, is that really too much to ask? Can I just have one good thing in my life?" He ranted. "Am I a bad person, is that why this is happening to me?"

"No, no Adrien don't say that. You're an amazing, beautiful boy, and I don't know why these things are happening to you." Ladybug replied. But you have me. You have your friends."

"I wish." He scoffed. Ladybugs eyebrows raised.

"What do you mean? I've seen you with your friends! They care for you Adrien." She added.

"That's because they don't know me!" He retorted. "Sure they're great, but I could never talk to them about actual problems. No one knows the real me!" Anger, fear, sadness everything was out of control. "I'm scared, and lost, and heartbroken, and I don't know what to do!" He clutched the side of his head, pulling at strands of hair until they ripped away. "I have learned that I can't trust anyone because I'll lose them. I can't love anyone because they will hate me. I'm just so tired of it all!" His watched beeped loudly. "I have to go." He declared, rising to his feet.

"What? Where?" Questioned Ladybug hurriedly.

"School." Adrien said, grabbing his bag and slinging it over his shoulder.

"School?" She repeated. "Adrien, look at what just happened." She panted. "You can't go to school, you need a break, some rest, some time to take everything in." Adrien laughed bitterly.

"What in this house? Where I lost both my parents?" He shouted. Ladybug remained silent, lost for words, as Adrien paced through the door. He took the side exit out. Tears continued to spew as he power walked to the familiar building. He was so angry, but so upset and anxious and embarrassed. How was he meant to figure out those emotions when they were so intense? He knew what was going to happen when he arrived. Nino would ask what's wrong, Adrien would say nothing, they would sit in awkward silence for the rest of the day.

He breezed up the stairs, clasping his hands together tightly, unintentionally cracking one of his knuckles. He winced. He had always hated that sound. He quickly hurried towards the classroom, rubbing his eyes frantically, trying to look somewhat less like a mess. When he reached the door he stopped. He took a deep breath, and brought out the classic model smile, before strutting into the room, keeping his head down. A few steps in, so far so good. Slumping into his seat, his hair fell in his face, acting like a mask as he reached into his bag to pull out his books. When he had thrown them on the table, he became intently focused on the wooden table. All was going well until Nino Lahiffe opened his mouth.

"Hey dude. How's it going?" They boy asked casually. Adrien tried to hide his wince, but Nino turned towards him, catching a glimpse of his face. He paused, as if struggling to out together the right sentence. "Hey, you look kinda upset." He said, his voice lowered, squirming in his seat. "Did something happen?" Adrien smiled it off.

"I appreciate the concern, but I'm honestly just super tired, I didn't get a good sleep last night." He replied. Nino looked relieved, but somehow still concerned. That didn't worry Adrien, Nino was not good at picking emotions and it wouldn't be hard to lead him off trail. Miss Bustier clapped her hands, the class quieting immediately.

"Adrien Agreste?" She called, her eyes falling on him. His heart dropped, and his hands trembled even more viciously. Her eyes told him everything - the police had called and were going to make him go home, or there had been some news report that he was meant to have been at, or worse - Ladybug had requested to talk with him. His emotions were speeding through him again, he left out a barely audible croaking sound, before mustering up the energy to say "Yes?". It came out weaker than he expected. He braced himself for what was to come next, his cheeks already flushing red with embarrassment. Miss Bustier's mouth opened.

"I'm just doing the role Adrien. Chloe Bourgeois?" He didn't believe it for a second, but then his tensed shoulders fell in relief. He put his hands over his face, amazed at how much he had over thought the situation. There was still one problem though.

"What is up with you dude?" Came Nino's anxious whisper. Adrien tried to muster a laugh, but the only thing that came out sounded like a sob.

"Nothing." He said softly. What was the point of thinking up a crafty excuse, his cover was already blown.

"Really?" Said Nino, almost sarcastically. Adrien didn't say anything. "Do you -"

"Nino." Miss Bustier's stern gaze found the boy. "Less talking more listening." Nino shrunk back into his seat, and didn't say a word for the rest of the lesson. Adrien wished it could stay that way, but dreaded the interrogation he knew was coming.


	7. Chapter 7

It was only a few minutes before the bell rang when Adrien finally figured out what felt so out of place. It was the empty seat behind him - Marinette wasn't there. He frowned, trying to decipher the meaning of her absence. Was she sick? Did she have something on? Adrien didn't know. He supposed he was meant to call her, that is what boyfriends do, right? Just thinking about it made him cringe. How was he meant to be Marinette's boyfriend whilst being in love with Ladybug? He pressed his hand to his forehead. What had he been thinking? Now that he had got to know Marinette well, his feelings were growing. It was unprecedented, so he hadn't thought about the consequences. He had always known that he would have to chose between Marinette and his Lady, but this was making it so much harder. The shrill ring of the bell hurt this ears. He stood up quickly, trying to make a fast exit, wanting to delay the inevitable. He slipped out the door, power walking down the stairs, but Nino was jogging to catch up to him. Eventually Nino fell in step beside Adrien. For a moment, neither said a word.

"What's really going on?" Asked Nino awkwardly. Adrien gritted his teeth, not wanting to say anything. What was he meant to reply with 'yeah my father is the guy who akumatized you', he almost chuckled at how helpless the situation was.

"I'm tired." Said Adrien. It wasn't a lie. He was tired of everything constantly going wrong in his life, he was tired of losing the people he loved. He spotted the black limo parked in front of the school. "Got to go, bye!" He said, just as Alya ran out of the classroom.

"Nino, have you seen the news?" She asked, her voice almost panicky. "Where's Adrien?" Adrien's eyes opened wide as he bolted to the car, slamming the door behind him. Out the window he could see Alya running towards him.

"Go, go, go!" He instructed Gorilla hurriedly, as the car jerked forward. He breathed a sigh of relief. He had only just escaped that one. But what about tomorrow? He groaned internally. Now all of Paris knew. He pulled out his phone and went straight to the breaking news, where pictures of his father filled the screen.

"I'm Nadja Chamock, live from the Paris court where just a few hours ago Gabriel Agreste was confirmed to hold the identity of the supervillain Hawkmoth. His assistant Nathalie Sancour was also said to be the owner of a peacock Miraculous, and went under the name of Mayura." Adrien dropped his phone as he stared at the back of the woman's head.

"Nathalie, what are you doing here?" He asked shakily. "Aren't you meant to be in jail?" The woman's voice gave a weak and wistful reply.

"They let me go." She said softly. "They said that someone had to look after you." She sniffed, and Adrien became certain that she was crying. "They took away the miraculous, and I'm not allowed to leave the house. This is that last time I'll be able to pick you up from school." She whimpered. "I'm so sorry Adrien. I wanted to help your father, but it went way too far." She paused, giving Adrien a second to process everything. "Can you ever forgive me?" Her voice was so quiet Adrien could only just make out the words.

"Of course." He replied simply. A silence hung in the air, so he resumed the news.

"I'm here with Ladybug who is giving us a few words on what is to come. Ladybug, what do you think of the life sentence that has been issued to Hawkmoth?" She held her microphone in front of an obviously exhausted Ladybug.

"I agree with whatever the jury says, I'm a superhero not a lawyer." She said.

"And what about the future? What can we expect to see when it comes to you superheroes?"

"I haven't really got the chance to talk to Cat Noir yet, but we will still be here, striving to make Paris a safe city. Although threats such as Akumas will no longer occur, we will still be ready when danger strikes." She waved her hand. "That's all for now Nadja." She stated. "I might see you tonight though." She flung her yoyo and flew after it, disappearing out of sight.

"You heard it from the hero herself folks. Over to you Mark." Adrien turned off his phone as they pulled up to the house. His stomach churned as hundreds of reporters swarmed the front of the house. Gorilla slammed on the brakes, reversing before they could spot the car. Nathalie opened her door and stepped out, encouraging Adrien to do the same.

"I'll take you through the back." She told him, putting a hand on his shoulder to guide him in the right direction. They slipped through the small door that lead straight into the kitchen. The chefs all turned around in surprise.

"Adrien!" One cried, running over and pulling him into a bear hug. "We're making you're favorite dishes for tonight boy, with a 100% deliciousness guarantee." The chef waved him away. "Now go, don't ruin the surprise." Adrien and Nathalie left the kitchen, a small smile tugging at his lips. Adrien phone began to ring. He pulled it out of his pocket and saw it was Nino. Grimacing, he didn't answer.

"Would you like to talk things through?" Asked Nathalie gently.

"Maybe I'm a bit." Said Adrien. "My friends are going crazy so I need to fill them in first. I'll just be in my room." She nodded.

"Come down whenever you're ready." She instructed, as Adrien climbed the stairs to his oversized room. He flung himself onto his bed as Plagg flew out, hovering next to him.

"You ok kid?" He asked caringly. Adrien nodded. "Better than this morning." He said, before his phone started going off again. It was Nino again. He sighed. He couldn't avoid them forever. Reluctantly he answered the call.

"Hello?"

"DUDE!" Nino screamed loudly. Adrien's shoulders fell. This was not going to be fun.

"Hey dude, what's up?" He said, attempting to sound collected.

"Don't play dumb with me!" Nino yelled angrily. "Why didn't you tell me?" Adrien detected the hurt in his voice. "Don't you trust me?" That made Adrien want to throw up. What he had done to Nino was exactly what Ladybug had done to him. And it hurt.

"I'm sorry Nino, I just wasn't ready." He said. "It all happened so fast -"

"You were ok to come to school but you couldn't talk to me." Nino said, more of a statement than a question. Adrien hated himself for lying to Nino, and realizing that he had upset Nino too, it made him feel so much worse. And now, more than ever, he needed his best friend. He hoped he wasn't to late.

"Do you want to come over now?" Adrien whispered.

"Speak up I can't here you."

"Do you want to come over, to my house now?" Adrien repeated, fidgeting anxiously with a strand of his hair. Nino stopped for a moment.

"Do you want me to?" He asked? Adrien bit his lip.

"Yes." Came his quiet reply.

Ten minutes later, Adrien found himself waiting outside the back of his house, after giving Nino directions on how to enter via the kitchen. He started regretting his decision, what was he thinking he would get out of this? More crying, more embarrassment, more loss? He gulped. What if this was how he would push Nino away, he couldn't lose his best friend too.

"Adrien stop stressing!" Instructed Plagg, sensing his owners increasing heart rate. "Nino has never let you down before, I'm sure that there's nothing to worry about." Adrien nodded, but still wore a worried frown. A head poked around the corner. It was Nino.

"Adrien!" Nino greeted, walking towards the boy. Adrien gave a small smile.

"Hey Nino. Come this way, just follow me." He said, barely making eye contact. The pair wondered into Adrien's room, and sat cross legged on his bed. Nino kicked his shoes of, narrowly missing the Foosball table. He turned his attention to the blonde.

"You look shaken up." He noted.

"That's one way to put it." Adrien said. "I'm guessing you've heard everything already?" Nino shrugged calmly.

"I don't trust Nadja, I want to hear it from you." Adrien nodded. He should have seem this coming.

"My father is Hawkmoth. His assistant is Mayura. I lost both my parents." He clenched his jaw, closed his eyes and swallowed, determined to put on a brave face.

"And you?" Asked Nino.

"Lost, scared, alone," Adrien breathed. "With no idea what to do next." Nino took a moment to let everything set in.

"You have to take it one day at a time." He explained kindly. "You talk to people, me, Alya, Mari, maybe even Ladybug if you're lucky." Adrien's lip twitched. "And you just go one day at a time. Don't worry about the past of the future, focus on the now. You have some friends who really really care about you and want you to be happy. So you let them in, and you face your problems with us."

"I don't want to burden people though." Adrien murmured.

"Adrien your problems aren't burdens. They're puzzles, and like every puzzle, its easier to solve with your friends." Nino grinned. "And trust me, Alya loves puzzles. You should talk to her and Marinette about this too, they're probably a lot better at giving pep talks them I am."

"You're not so bad you know." Adrien commended. Nino raised his eyebrows. "Also there's something else." He couldn't believe the words had come out of his mouth. He hesitated. Was he sure he could go through with this, and face the consequences? Now that Hawkmoth, or his father, was gone, what could go wrong? Still a lot of things. He creased his brows. Maybe it was time to abort mission, this wasn't such a good idea. But he could get it off his chest, and maybe it would be good, and Nino wouldn't tell anyone right? His face fell. Wrong. Nino would tell Alya, and Alya ran the Ladyblog. And Ladybug would kill him when she found out. He at least had to run it through her first. But could he wait that long? He clenched his fists. He had to. "Actually that doesn't matter." Nino shook his head.

"I don't believe that, come on I won't tell!"

"How about we play some Foosball?" Adrien asked. "It would really cheer me up!" Nino looked like he wanted to go back to his questioning, but decided against it.

"You won't be so cheery when I dominate you!" He declared, running over to the table. Adrien scoffed.

"Is that a threat?" Before long the two were playing like the best friends they were. It took Adrien's mind off his father, and enabled him to finally use his years of practice to slaughter Nino.

A few hours later, Nino returned home, Adrien sat alone in his oversized room, wondering what was going to happen that night. He peaked out the window. The reporters were still there. He squinted as he recognized one. Was that Alya? She was speaking to some of the others. She whispered something in their ear, and suddenly they were running in the opposite direction. The message seemed to spread like Chinese whispered, until one reported shouted it loudly.

"Adrien's been spotted at the Eiffel tower!" Adrien beamed. Alya was so good. His smile disappeared as he was once again left alone with his thoughts. He hadn't been told anything yet. He didn't know if he could visit, if he could call, if he could ever see his father again. And as Cat Noir, what was he going to do then? They had patrol tonight again, would he even show? He had to, he needed answers from Ladybug. He couldn't say he wasn't mad at her, she had done all of this without him, for all he knew she could have hurt his Dad without him realizing. He took a deep breath in, followed by a long exhale. He had gotten through talking to Nino. Now he just had to do what the boy had said. One thing at a time. He turned around. Nathalie next.

"I regret everything, but the truth is, I loved your father." She whimpered. "So much, that I would do anything for him. I never should have taken this job. I put you in danger, and almost landed myself in a lifetime in prison."

"Hey," said Adrien comfortingly. He rested his hand on her shoulder as she took of her glasses. "For what its worth, I knew you loved my father." She jerked her head up.

"You, you did?" Her mouth hung open.

"And I think you would be a great Mum." The woman wiped away a tear.

"You're a good kid Adrien." She said, pulling him towards her in a gentle hug. "Don't let anyone tell you otherwise." She quickly composed herself, smoothing down her blouse. "The news is starting, its completely understandable if you don't want to watch it, but I myself would like to hear what they have to say." She said, standing abruptly.

"Wait, I'm coming too." Adrien called.

"Are you sure?" She asked cautiously.

"Nope, but I'm going to do it anyway." For a moment, Adrien could have sworn he saw a smile tug at her lips. But in an instant it was back to the usual stern expression.

"I'm here with the man himself, fashion designer Gabriel Agreste, aka Hawkmoth. Mr Agreste, what do you have to say for yourself" Nadja reported. Adrien winced as his father remained wistfully silent. An officer entered the shot, sweeping his father into a car and driving out of sight. Nadja started running. "Just around the corner here, Ladybug is giving a press conference on the entire situation. Here she is!"

"Negative emotions will no longer result in drastic consequences. Paris will be safe, but we must still take into account the pain that this is putting on people. At this time, it is important to treat Mr Agreste's family and friends with dignity and respect."

"Ladybug, now that Hawkmoth is gone, will we get to know your identity?" A reporter asked.

"I can neither confirm nor deny that yet, I will be talking to the necessary persons tonight, and will let you know as soon as I can."

"Ladybug!" Came a familiar squeal! The camera spun around to focus on Chloe Bourgeois. She looked at the superheroine. "I'm here on behalf of my class from the Francis Dupont high school. How can we help those struggling with this news?" Adrien swallowed hard. She was obviously talking about him.

"I'll get back to you Chloe, I have scheduled a meeting with your class tomorrow, but your concern is touching." Adrien knew he was about to lose it, but didn't want to in front of Nathalie.

"I'm going to head up to my room now." He said, already walking off."

"Of course. Let me know if you need anything." Came Nathalie's reply. He paced up the grand staircase into his oversized room. Plagg flew out of his shirt.

"How are you holding up kid?" The kwami asked delicately. Adrien ran his hands through his hair.

"He's actually gone for good. He actually hated me." Adrien slumped face first onto his bed. "Plagg, he's the one who threw me off a building." He choked on his own saliva. "He wanted me gone." The waterworks began once again. "I just don't understand Plagg!" He sobbed. "Was I just so unloveable that I turned my own father against me?"

"No Adrien, don't say that!" The kwami rested himself on Adrien's pillow. "This isn't on you. Don't blame yourself, and don't ever call yourself unloveable!"

"What if I am?" Adrien pondered sadly. "My father didn't love me. Ladybug doesn't love me. What if my mother -"

"Stop Adrien! Don't talk about yourself like that. You know your mother loved you, more than anything in the world!" Plagg squeaked. "Your emotions are clouding your judgment. Want to go for a run?"

Both Adrien and Plagg both knew what "a run" meant. He sighed, before giving a reluctant "ok."


	8. Chapter 8

**Hi everyone!**

**This is the second last chapter of Hurtful words! I want to know what you think of it so far, what did you like, what didn't you like, and what I can do to make it better. It would mean so much if you could write a review or a comment to let me know your thoughts. Thanks for reading, you guys are amazing! I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

**~ Lil Em 04**

After shoving some pillows under his blanket, Adrien transformed and flew out the window. He spent multiple hours bounding over the rooftops of Paris, helped cat out of a tree, and picked a red rose from a park, before finding himself on the Eiffel tower, the same spot he had been with Ladybug just a few nights ago. He thought back to that night. Everything had happened so fast, in just a few days he had been on an absolute rollercoaster. He just wanted to get off.

He wiped his eyes for the millionth time that day, the water spilling onto his mask, then winding down his cheeks. He spun the rose between two of his fingers, careful to avoid the spikes, then let it fall away. The sun was setting, creating a picture perfect city skyline. The day was almost over. But the hardest part was yet to come. He pulled out his baton and checked the time. Still half an hour until patrol. He lay flat on his back in the middle of the platform. Everyone said that once school finished, life got even harder. He dreaded what the future would hold. How could it possibly get worse than this? Unloveable. The word echoed in the back of his mind. Why was he like this? Everything he did he messed up. Friendships, family, being Cat Noir for heavens sake! Why was he even trying?

"Hello there." Said a voice behind him. He closed his eyes and covered his face with his hands. He normally loved spending time with Ladybug, but right now he just wanted to be alone.

"You're early." He remarked.

"I was hoping I would find you here." She let out a long sigh. "I told all the other miraculous holders to come to patrol tonight." Cat Noir cringed. That was just what he needed. "I think everyone needs a briefing and," she paused. "Maybe you'll get the reveal you've always dreamed of." Cat Noir barely managed to hold in his groan. He did not want any more reveals. No more drama. "But since we still have a while before patrol, I thought we could talk." He felt her gentle hand on his, delicately pulling his own hands off his face. He opened his eyes, which he knew were wide with fear, and stared into her bluebell ones. "We definitely need this talk." She said with a pout. He shook his head.

"Ladybug no, I, I need some alone time, I've had the worst day -" She cut him off.

"You've had the worst day?" She said. "I'm guessing not as bad as mine, and I'm certain not as bad as Adrien's." She said gently. "So it could be worse." He wanted to scream that it couldn't, possibly get any worse, but he kept his mouth shut. "Want to hear how my day went? I snuck into my crush's house at like 5 in the morning, caught his dad in my yoyo, ripped off his miraculous, called the police, watched the love of my life hate me as his father got put in jail, skipped school to attend a billion news interviews, ran around telling all the miraculous holders about patrol, ducked home so my parents didn't think I was dead and came here." She caught her breath. "So yeah fun times."

"Did you hurt him?" He asked softly.

"Gabriel? I mean I caught him in my yoyo, and once I had his miraculous he sort of gave up." She hesitated. "I'm sorry for leaving you out of it. I just saw how upset you were, and -"

"Didn't think I would be focused enough to get the job done and didn't trust me with the responsibility." He finished for her. "I've heard that one before."

"No, I saw how upset you were and didn't want to make matters worse." She corrected.

"Stop trying to make me feel better ok, I know that I would have slowed you down, I know that I'm such a mess I can't even think properly, what I don't know is why I'm even still wearing this ring!" He exclaimed, standing up and walking to the other side of the platform, fists clenched together, so many emotions flowing through him. He slumped down, dangling his feet over the edge of the structure. Ladybug followed and sat next to him.

"I don't understand." She said. "How can you think so negatively of yourself? You're this talented, selfless, beautiful human being! You are kind, caring, loyal, oh what's that word?"

"Unloveable?" He mumbled.

"Not the one I was looking for, Cat Noir I'm honestly just so shocked at the way you see yourself, its so harsh, and cold and destructive!" She stood up abruptly but tripped. Cat Noir watched in horror as she tipped backwards, until her feet slipped off the ground. He launched himself at her, grabbing her and swinging her around. With a push, she was back on steady ground.

He smiled, even as he felt himself falling. The wind sped past him as he rocketed towards the ground.

It was fine. If she was alright, it was a sacrifice he was willing to make.

A familiar string constricted around his torso. He stopped mid air, and felt himself bring pulled back up. That girl was a true hero.

"Did I mention selfless?" She yelled at him as she pulled him back up. "Cat Noir you're willing to fall off the Eiffel Tower for me. That's crazy brave, and heroic." She grabbed his hand and helped him onto the platform once again. They stood facing each other. So close, he could almost - no, he shook the thought away. "It hurts me the way that you see yourself. Try and not bring yourself down, if not for yourself then for me." She enveloped him in a tight hug. "You mean so much to me kitty." He said nothing, but let her hug him, closing his eyes, resting his chin on her shoulder. He felt her gentle fingers fiddle with strands of his hair.

Gosh he loved her. So much. A loud thump made the pair split apart.

"We have a problem." A voice said. Cat Noir turned to see Rena Rouge, grasping her flute tightly.

"Rena, there's still a while until patrol starts." Reminded Ladybug. Rena shrugged.

"What can I say, I was excited. But back to the problem. Adrien's missing." Cat Noir's insides felt like they were doing back flips as she mentioned his name. "I went to his house to check up on him, and he's gone." Ladybugs hands flew to her cheeks.

"We have to find him!" She declared determinedly. Cat Noir shook his head.

"Its fine, I talked to him before I came here." He lied. "He was just going for a walk to, uh, clear his head." The two girls heaved a sigh of relief.

"Oh thank goodness." Breathed Rena. I was starting to get really worried there." Ladybug and her started chatting, but Cat Noir was completely zoned out. He went back to the edge and sat down, quickly getting lost in thought. He sat quietly for a while, before his enhanced hearing picked up their conversation.

"I'm really worried about him." Whispered Ladybug.

"Who Adrien?"

"Well, yeah, but also Cat Noir. He's not himself anymore, when I told him about Hawkmoth it was like something inside of him just broke." She took a deep breath. "He's never been super proud of himself or anything, but his self esteem is really low. I'm talking I've never seen it this bad before. With anyone."

"What's he been saying?"

"He for worked up that some of his classmates were saying things about him, and then you remember when he didn't show up to battle?"

"Yeah I remember."

"He said it was because he didn't want to slow me down. And just yesterday, when Lila got akumatized, he took a hit for me and is really beating himself up over it."

"Ouch, that's harsh."

"Exactly! And I've tried everything but he keeps hating himself, and its so hard to watch, I," Ladybug let out a small groan. "I don't know what to do."

"I mean once everyone reveals stuff, I'm happy to try and help. N - Carapace would be happy to as well, he says he keeps finding that sort of stuff happening to Adrien." Cat Noir's ears perked up. Wait what? "Apparently he's convinced that Adrien's hiding something, like as in a problem. His home situation wasn't great to begin with, and now, ugh I can't even imagine. Before the news came out, he rocked up to school, and he literally still had tears running down his face. And then when, uh, Carapace asked what was up, he completely brushed it off like it was nothing." Hold on. How did Carapace know - wait. Rena's words echoed in his mind. 'Carapace asked what was up'. But the only person that - His jaw dropped. What the heck, no, how?

Carapace was Nino. His mind started running at a million miles per hour. Nino, Carapace, Carapace, Nino - how? How? He clamped his hand against his mouth. How? His best friend was - this was too much to process.

"I visited him this morning as Ladybug." Said Ladybug. "And he had completely lost it. I'm talking full on break down, and I tried to help but what can you even do in that situation?"

"Yeah, you should have seen his house this afternoon. Completely swarmed by reporters, I managed to lead them away, but just imagine how hard that would be."

"I know right! I feel - hey look who decided to join us." Another thump.

"Hey dudes. Or dudettes?" Oh boy. Cat Noir's whole body tightened.

"Carapace." Ladybug greeted. "How was your afternoon."

"Chaotic would be one way to put it." He suddenly lowered his voice. "I ducked into Adrien's for a bit."

"Oh good." Said Rena. "How's he doing."

"He's so shaken up. Like literally, his hands were shaking when he talked to me."

"Oh my gosh the poor thing. I just want to hug him." Mumbled Ladybug.

"I don't want to disclose what he said because you know, its not mine to tell," continued Carapace. "But that dude has gone off the rails. Understandably so, but he is going to need a lot of support." He paused. "Speaking of off the rails, what up with Cat Noir?" Cat Noir winced as he heard his name.

"Your guess is as good as mine." Answered Ladybug. "You want to go check up on him?" No no no no!

"Yeah of course." Cat Noir cringed. Great. Carapace landed next to him.

"Hey dude."

"Hey." A small silence hung in the air.

"Did something happen?" Yes, yes something happened, his life had just shattered into a million pieces, his father was Hawkmoth, his assistant was Mayura and his best friend was Carapace.

"Nope." He answered. Carapace let out a small chuckle.

"Ok that's definitely not true. Seriously though, what's up?" Cat Noir couldn't help but feel touched. Carapace, or Nino, whichever persona, was so caring. He was lucky to have him as a best friend.

"I'm just a bit upset about some stuff." He admitted quietly. Carapace took a moment to process things. "You're going to have to be more specific." He said. Cat Noir shook his head.

"That's all you're getting. You better go and report back to Ladybug." Carapace snickered.

"If you say so." He said getting up. "Man you have good hearing." It only took a few more minutes for the rest of the miraculous holders to arrive. He could feel their eyes drilling into him, and it filled him with embarrassment. Just another thing to add to the seemingly never ending list.

"Everyone gather round!" Called Ladybug. Cat Noir reluctantly walked up to the small crowd. "So I've talked to master Fu, and we decided that whilst we won't be revealing our identities to the public, we can reveal them to each other." A few excited murmurs sounded. "Pretty much, what happens here, stays here. Everyone got it?" A chorus of "Yes"'s came from the group. "Ok, anyone want to go first?"

"I'll do it!" Called King Monkey. With a yell, blinding light surrounded him, and then -

"Kim?" Almost everyone said it at once. Cat Noir couldn't believe his eyes. Kim, Kim from his class was a miraculous holder?

It got even more insane. Kagami, Luka, Max, all miraculous wielder's. Chloe decided to go next, even though everyone knew her identity already.

"Carapace and I want to go at the same time!" Declared Rena Rouge. The pair shared a grin, as they linked hands. More blinding light, and in their place -

"Oh my -" because just one close friend wasn't enough. Alya, was Rena Rouge. And seeing Nino there in front of him, it was a lot. He thought back to the conversation he had overheard. That made a lot more sense now.

"I guess I'll go now." Said Ladybug, taking a step towards him. "Just don't get too disappointed." He shook his head.

"I could never." Lights blinded him for a few moments. Then the figure appeared.

"Marinette!?" Screamed Alya.

"Dupain Cheng?!" Screeched Chloe.

Cat Noir gasped in delight. Marinette, his girlfriend Marinette, was the love of his life. He ran forward and hugged her.

"You're amazing Marinette." He whispered in her ear. "I love you." She pressed her head into his chest. "That's good. You've been begging for this reveal for so long, at least I haven't disappointed you." He pulled her close.

"Why are you so perfect?" He questioned, her smile making his face light up. "I couldn't have asked for a better partner!"

"I am the worst detective ever! Girl! You were right there in front of me, the whole, entire time!" Ranted Alya. "I'm best friends, with Ladybug! I can't believe it! I'm best friends with Ladybug!" She leapt into the air. "Best. Day. Ever!"

"Calm down you lot. There's only one more to go."

Just like that, all eyes were on him. Staring expectantly.

All of a sudden, he wanted to run. Hide. Keep his secret too himself. They were all going to judge him, hate him, back away from him. He was the son of the most dangerous person in Paris. What if they pushed him away. What if he lost, all of his friends. Every. Single. One.

"Cat Noir?" Came Marinette's soothing voice. "Everything ok?" He tried to speak but nothing came out? His hands trembled.

"Claws -" he stopped, taking a shaky breath. He closed his eyes tightly. What was he doing? He had wanted this his whole life, and now Marinette was Ladybug, she was sure to fall in love with him. Or was she?

Unloveable. The miraculous holders began exchanging glances. He felt his entire face turn hot with embarrassment. Marinette walked up to him.

"Do you want to do this in private?" She asked softly. All he could do was give a quick nod. She took his hand and walked over to the other side of the platform.

"Can you help me up there?" She said, leaning out and pointing to the highest point of the Eiffel tower. Hands still shaking, he grabbed her gently, holding her bridal style, and extended his baton, shooting the two higher and higher, until they landed on the higher platform. The wind felt stronger up there. "Before you detransform, can I just say something." He stumbled over the simplest of answers.

"Of course, m'la - uh, Marinette." She gave a small grin at his slipup.

"Look, Cat Noir, I'm really worried about you. You haven't been yourself these last few days, I haven't heard one of your dumb puns in what seems like forever, and this is going to sound stupid but I can't remember the last time I saw a genuine smile from you. I feel like something big is going on." She paused to take a breath. "Am I right in thinking that?" Cat Noir rubbed the back of his neck anxiously.

"Yup." He mumbled. She sighed.

"Why didn't you tell me." She questioned gently.

"I couldn't." He answered. "It would jeopardize my secret identity. And its also really hard to talk about." He said reluctantly.

"Well your secret identity is about to no longer be a problem." She offered. "And you know I won't judge." She put her arms around him. "Just take a deep breath, say the transformation words, and then we can talk about it. Sound ok?" He didn't respond, but let out a long exhale. He felt so comfortable with her holding him.

"Claws in." He whispered slowly.


	9. Chapter 9

**Last chapter, hope you guys like it :)**

Just like that, he was stripped of his mask, stripped of his powers, stripped of his superhero side. He closed his eyes, letting two small droplets slide down his cheeks.

"A-Adrien?" Marinette gasped. "Adrien, you're Cat Noir?" They let go of each other.

"Surprise." He sad weakly.

"Oh my gosh, the other night when I told you, oh my gosh you've been in love with," she stopped suddenly. "Oh my gosh. Your, your father. Your father is - oh my gosh. That's why you were so upset, of course it all makes sense now, I," she flung her arms around him and held him tight, Adrien quick to return the gesture. "I'm so, so sorry. I, I was so insensitive, I left you on the roof all by yourself to deal with everything, I should have -"

"Its ok," he said softly. "Its ok. You couldn't have known."

"But I should have been looking out for you, as Adrien and Cat Noir and I was so blind that I didn't look out for either!"

"Hey that's not true. You saved me from an Akuma." Her eyes widened.

"Oh my gosh that was you. You almost got akumatized again!" Adrien froze. Hang on a minute.

"Again?" Marinette gulped.

"Long story." She said. "We can talk about that later. You, you need to talk about everything, you can't bottle up all your feelings, stop keeping them in ok, you, you're Adrien! I can't believe it!" She stammered. She took a moment to compose herself. "Ok, we need to sit, and have a really really long talk."

"I don't want to waste you ti -" She cut him off before he could finish.

"Don't you dare start downplaying this Adrien Agreste." She sat on the platform cross legged. "You get your butt down here and stop holding in everything, you're going to drive yourself insane if you don't talk it out." He loved her determination, so he sat down next to her. "First things first, tell me exactly what you're feeling. I'm not going to judge, I'm not going to tell anyone, I'm just here to listen and help. Ok?" He gave a shaky not.

"I'm just a bit upset." He murmured. She tilted her head.

"Can you go a tad more into depth about it?" She asked. He let out an anxious breath.

"I'm a bit scared." He admitted.

"About what?"

"A lot of things. That my father tried to kill me a few times. I'm worried that he might get hurt in prison. And that I'll never see him again. And I'm terrified that - gah this sounds so stupid - that no one, that no one will ever love me, and now that I'm saying it out loud it sounds like literally the dumbest thing I have ever heard." He finished. There was a small silence that lasted a few seconds.

"Adrien nothing you just said was dumb, they are all really serious problems." Said Marinette comfortingly. She hesitated for a moment. "You know that time where Hawkmoth threw you off the roof?" He couldn't hold in his scoff.

"Know it? I have nightmares about it." He said, causing Ladybug to frown slightly.

"You're really afraid of death?" He shook his head worriedly.

"No, I was scared that I would be a nuisance to you like I was then." He explained. Marinette held up her hands.

"No no no we are not going there again. You are not a nuisance, I couldn't do half the stuff I do without you, and you are literally just the most loveable person I know so don't go talking about how bad you are." She took a breath. "I think you're perfect the way you are, and you aren't a burden, you make me a better person, both as Ladybug, and as me." She shifted closer. "And if all else fails, you know I love you." Adrien bit his lip.

"You love Adrien. Not me." He said softly. She stared into his eyes.

"What do you mean?" She further questioned.

"I'm not Adrien. I mean I am, but, that's no who I feel is the true me. As a model I have to wear this invisible mask, and hide my emotions and everything. But when I transform into Cat Noir," he let out a sigh. "I can finally be free." Ladybug hesitated.

"But I love both of you. I don't care who you think you are, Adrien Agreste of Cat Noir, I love you." And before he could even register what was happening, she had pressed her lips against his. He froze for a few seconds, trying to process everything that was happening. Then he put his hands on her cheeks, and gently kissed her back. It lasted for only a short while, and Cat Noir couldn't put his finger on why, but it felt so...right. For just a few seconds, he let her warmth comfort him, melt away everything else. For a few seconds, he was ok. Then - "Marinette!" Came a familiar yell.

"Don't come up!" She shrieked quickly.

"Okay." Said Nino. "Chloe and Kim are fighting and now she's threatening to drop his miraculous, can you come sort it out?" She let out a smile.

"I'll be there in a minute." She called back. She stared at Cat Noir reluctantly. He gave her a nod.

"You better go extinguish that problem. I should be heading off anyway." He said, causing Marinette to pout a little.

"What, no Adrien this won't take long, we can keep talking and -"

"Marinette its not you, I don't want Nathalie to notice I left. And I don't particularly want to face the others." He admitted. She sighed.

"You sure?" He answered with a simple nod.

"Claws out." He said, feeling the comfort of his suit envelope him. "Goodbye M'lady." Then he shot up, using his baton to propel him.

"Stay safe Cat Noir!" She called after him.

He flew through the air, then stopped, landing on the outer edge of the tower. He could hear the miraculous holders talking as he pressed himself onto the cold metal structure.

"Hey give it back!" Whined Chloe.

"No, unless you want me to confiscate yours as well." Small talk and more complaining followed. Then, three voices got closer and closer. He let out a slow breath. It was fine. They couldn't see him, he could just hear them.

"So what happened up there?" Questioned Alya.

"I mean I know his identity. And what was troubling him." Marinette replied.

"Wait actually?" Gawked Carapace. "What was it?" Ladybug hesitated.

"I, uh, don't think its my place to tell. But its really bad." She said.

"Like how bad?"

"Like Sandboy bringing your worst nightmare to life but 100 times worse bad." Silence. Suddenly, he felt something heavy on his head. She shook it, and a pigeon flew away. Pigeon. Oh no he thought as he sneezed loudly. No, no, no!

"Did you hear something?" Said Nino.

"It sounded like..." Ladybug trailed off. They started talking in hushed voices a, he couldn't understand. Then, he almost jumped out of his skin. The phone function on his stick sounded, like an alarm alerting everyone in a 100 meter radius. It was Ladybug.

"Damnit." He mumbled.

"Cat Noir, we know you're there!" Yelled Ladybug. "Its just Alya, Nino and I, the others are on the higher level. You can come out." He stayed silent, his heart hammering furiously. "Please Kitty?" Just like that she was next to him. His masked eyes locked with hers. "You can trust these guys. They're your friends." He gulped, too afraid to say anything. "Come on." She said, grasping his hand and pulling slightly. He poked his head around the metal slab, and was confronted with Alya and Nino staring back, their faces filled with worry and confusion. He could do it. He could do it. He pulled out his baton and shot away from the monument, bouncing from rooftop to rooftop, faster than he had ever gone before.

He couldn't do it.

He ran and leaped, his legs burning, until he flew through the open window of his room.

"Claws off." He muttered, causing Plagg to appear in front of him.

"That was an eventful night." Commented the kwami, as Adrien launched himself onto his bed.

"Marinette is Ladybug." He whispered. "And I'm an idiot."

Neither Adrien nor Gorilla spoke as the limousine hummed on the way to school. He clasped his hands together tightly, a weak attempt to calm his nerves. He pressed his head against the cold window, watching the street fly by. Suddenly the car jerked to a halt, and bright flashing lights filled his vision. Gorilla opened the door, and he was instantly swarmed with cameras, reporters, and microphones.

"Adrien, Adrien Agreste what do you have to say about what your father did?"

"Can you confirm or disconfirm rumors of your involvement in your fathers work?"

"What can we expect from the Agreste brand in the near future?"

"Is it true that you knew about your fathers secret?" Yells made his ears ring, people were pushing towards him, thrusting microphones in his face, flashing cameras at him. It felt like walls were closing in on him, he wanted to run, scream, get out of there, he felt like he was losing all control of himself. It was like he couldn't breath, they were all coming at him, pressing in from every angle. He had to get out of there, he couldn't have his claustrophobia acting up in front of these strangers. He tried pushing through but there were too many of them, surrounding him like walls. Then suddenly the reporters began toppling backwards, falling like dominoes around him, Nino, Alya, the rest of his class mates and even Chloe were shoving the reporters away, attempting to clear a path for him. A hand grabbed his.

"Come on, what are you waiting for?" Urged Alix, pulling him towards the school. Together, they weaved through the crowd, and slipped into the classroom, the rest of the class following close behind. When Nino finally ran in, he slammed the door behind him, locking it, and hurriedly closing all the blinds.

"Nice job dudes." He told the room. Adrien's stumbled to his seat, still trying to comprehend what had just happened. Then, his eyes fell on the figure at the front of the room.

"Ladybug?" He exclaimed, barely resisting the temptation to run and hug her. Miss Bustier clapped her hands.

"Attention class! Please, everyone find your seats. As you may have noticed, we have a special guest with us today. Please listen closely to what she has to say." The teacher stepped back, allowing Ladybug to take the floor.

"Hi guys, its me Ladybug." She introduced. "I'm here today because I've had a few of you approach me about what to do with this situation, as many of you are friends, or even family of Gabriel Agreste." She said, her eyes falling on Adrien. He stared at the table. "I'm here to talk to you about ways we can manage these feelings, and help each other to do so." She held up her yoyo. "I'm going to give you a way to communicate with me if you ever need to. This yoyo has a phone function, and I've figured out the number." Miss Bustier began writing it on the board. "I won't receive anything unless I'm transformed, but if you leave a voicemail, I'll get back to you as soon as I see it. I'm trusting you all to keep this to yourselves, I don't want it getting out to the public." Ladybug paused, to make sure everyone had got the message. "Ok, another very important thing is if things are getting really out of hand, your school offers counselling services, which you can got to for any problem, big or small." Adrien's stomach churned. Why was everyone staring at him, he didn't want to go to some counsellor. He could deal with it himself, he didn't want to get more people involved. He turned his head and locked eyes with Nino.

"You ok dude?" He asked kindly. Adrien nodded his head quickly, it seemed to be his automatic response to that question. He turned back to Ladybug.

"We can't control the past, but we can decide our future. This means letting go and not dwelling on things we can't control, instead focusing our energy on what we can. Taking things day by day, and not thinking too big picture is the best way to handle this. You all need to take care of each other, which means reaching out if you are feeling upset." Once again, her eyes locked directly with his. "Don't bottle up your feelings, talk it out, write it out, play it out, whatever your hobby is, find a way to make it relaxing. I'm only ever one call away and am happy to talk with any of you. Please remember that even though things can seem really dark, you will always matter, you are not worthless, and you are loved." Adrien unsuccessfully tried to eliminate the glow in his cheeks. "I have a press conference in - gah, 2 minutes and 38 seconds. I should run guys, but thanks for having me and give me a call anytime. Bug out!" She said with a wink, flying out the open window. Adrien watched the hero until she was out of sight. Then, all eyes were on him. He hated the feeling, hated the pressure it seemed to create.

"I hope you enjoyed that." Miss Bustier told the class. As requested by Ladybug herself, this lesson will be a time where you can talk to your peers about the current situation. I'll be marking year 12 essays at the front, just call me if you need anything." Adrien groaned. Great. Great. Just great. Why did Ladybug suggest it, this was such a bad idea. Everyone's eyes seemed to be piercing him. When it became clear he wouldn't speak, small chatter erupted throughout the class. Nino put his hand on Adrien's shoulder.

"Hey dude, I know I'm not great at emotions at all, and I know that you don't really want to talk about it, but I'm here for you dude, whenever you're ready." Adrien felt a sudden warmth flow through him.

"Thanks man." He said softly. "I know I haven't been the easiest person to put up with lately, but I really really am thankful for everything you've done for me." Nino gave a sincere smile.

Adrien plugged in his earphones and listened to music the entire lesson, trying to forget about everything, temporarily at least. But he couldn't help but feel touched, these guys all cared for him, Nino willing to go out of his way to help. He didn't have his mother, or his father. But he had them. Nino, Alya, all his classmates. Ladybug.

His father had given up on him. But Adrien wouldn't give up on his friends. He wouldn't give up on love. He had his miraculous, he had his escape, he could get through this. He scrolled through his photos of Ladybug on his phone. He had her. And while the next few weeks, months, maybe even years were going to be the most painful of his life, he owed it to her to her to push through.

She didn't give up on him. So he couldn't give up on her. He took a deep breath. Just one day at a time. Determination seemed to flow through him suddenly

He would get through this.

? ﾟﾐﾞ?

"Have you told him yet?" Questioned Nathalie Sancour, staring at the superheroine standing next to her. Ladybug shook her head.

"He's not ready yet." She replied. "There's only so much he can take at once. But I will tell him." Her hand brushed against the glass encasing the resting body of Emilie Agreste. "When the time is right."

**Thanks you all SOOOOO much for reading this, it makes me so happy to see so many people reviewing, favoriting and following. I have a plot in mind for a possible part 3, but unless you guys really want it I think I am going to leave this story here (on a bit of a cliffhanger!) Thanks again, you guys are all amazing!**

**~ Lil Em 04**


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